In the Italian states during the 15th century, a time of war coexisted with a period of art flourishing. But what if magic was thrown into the fray? Sculptress Ravenna Maffei desires nothing more than to create art and to protect her family while keeping her own magical powers a secret. To protect those she holds dear, Ravenna enters an art contest, hosted by the immortal family of Florence, the Luni. Ravenna is taken by the family to complete an important task, but if she fails, she will be killed by the heir of the family, Saturnino Luni. Unfortunately, the greatest danger lurks outside of Florence as the pope is waging war against magic itself. Can Ravenna uncover the secrets of the Luni family and finish their difficult task before war engulfs all of Florence? Ravenna’s story is told in Isabel Ibanez’s latest historical fantasy novel, “Graceless Heart.”

This was a spontaneous buy for me. It was really the cover that caught my eye, and then I read the description. I realized that this was a historical fantasy novel, a genre that I have not dabbled in much, but one that I have heard of before. I decided to go on a whim and give it a shot to see how well she could blend magical elements with historical figures and settings.

Ravenna has always had a gift for art, especially sculpting, but when she was younger and exploring a quarry with her aunt, she soon discovered that she has a darker talent, one that she has to keep secret from the rest of the world. We then jump to Volterra in 1478, Ravenna’s hometown, where she is on a mission to save her brother. She decides to enter a sculpting competition, where the prize is anything she asks for. Obviously, she wins the contest and can release her brother from his prison, but the Luni family, the immortal family of Florence, has decided to use Ravenna’s talent for magic for their own goals. They want her to free five mystic stones from marble, which is more difficult than it sounds. The entire family keeps an eye on her, but her biggest threat is the heir to the family, Saturnino.

While Ravenna believes Saturnino and the Luni family are her enemies, she will soon learn that her greatest threat is Pope Sixtus IV who is wanting to wage a war against the Luni family and magic itself. It was nice to see Leonardo da Vinci, Lorenzo de’ Medici, and Federico da Montefeltro the Duke of Milan featured in this novel. It was a nice touch to add depth to the story and give it a foundation in the past.

The story itself was engaging, so much so that I ended up binge reading quite a bit of it. It was a delightful blend of history and fantasy with a dash of romance. I didn’t know what to expect when it came to reading a historical fantasy, but I had so much fun and I can’t wait to see what Ibanez will write next. If you are someone who enjoys stories set in the Italian Renaissance but you want to dabble in historical fantasy, I think you will enjoy “Graceless Heart” by Isabel Ibanez.